With murders showing a downward trend in the Spanish Town North Police Division over the past four years, the annual 10,000 Men and Families March, will take centre stage tomorrow starting at 4:00 pm in the St Catherine capital.
The movement was launched 13 years ago arising from a need to foster peace between warring factions in the urban centre and to transform Spanish Town.
Founder of the movement and former chairman of the Spanish Town Minister's Fraternal Bishop Rowan Edwards said the march, which is being held under the theme "We Use What is Right to Correct What is Wrong" is of special significance this year, because the movement is now seeing the fruits of it's years of labour.
"We are seeing a steep decline in the murder rate in Spanish Town and the warring factions have largely curtailed their activities because of the aggressive outreach strategies we have employed, at all times working with the St Catherine North Police," Bishop Edwards told The Gleaner.
He continued: "The intent of the march this year is to send a strong signal to perpetrators of crime and violence that we are not going to allow miscreant actions to take over our communities."
According to Bishop Edwards some 15 communities and several residents, who have been fostering and contributing to the peace initiatives over the years, will be presented with special awards at the march.
The outspoken Bishop, however, expressed his disappointment with the decision by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to cut funding to the National Integrity Action (NIA), one of it's main sponsors.
"This decision is bad for both the NIA and other organisations involved in stamping out corruption, which are largely funded by the NIA, certainly it will be bad for the 10,000 Men and Families March movement, because of what we have started in the country, we have reached five parishes to date with our message of peace and an end to crime and violence, and we must finish the rest," he asserted.
Figures released by the St Catherine North Police are showing a steep decline in murders, down from 146 committed in 2016 to 92 last year.
Senior Superintendent of Police in Charge of St Catherine North, Beau Rigerbie, told The Gleaner that the decline can be attributed to effective police strategies in concert with the input of various stakeholders, such as the 10,000 Men and Families March.
He said the aim of the division is to continue working with the stakeholders to achieve a further decline.
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